Chico stunned by five homicides in 2011

CHICO -- Four people were allegedly murdered in Chico over the past year, and one died due to alleged involuntary manslaughter.

Two were especially shocking and callously premeditated.

On Sept. 21, David Yang, 26, was returning to work from a meal break about 3:15 a.m. when a sniper hidden in weeds at Bruce Road and Highway 32 shattered the window of his vehicle with a single shot. The bullet struck Yang, an aspiring minister, apparently killing him instantly.

Police found Yang's Toyota in the intersection. He was slumped over the wheel and the motor was still running.

An intense investigation led police to suspect Jeffrey James Menzies, 27, of Chico. He came into the Chico Police Department the day after the shooting to report his car stolen, and police tied him to evidence in the case. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said he will seek the death penalty.

Police Chief Mike Maloney said Menzies' act was fueled by alcohol and his target could have been anyone who came through the intersection.

On Dec. 22, police went to a home on White Avenue in north Chico to perform a welfare check on a woman who reportedly had missed several days of work.

They encountered the woman's son, Anthony David Yee, 44, and noticed suspicious circumstances that led to a search warrant.

The body of Judith Nathan, 66, was found the following day, stuffed into her backyard septic tank, and wrapped in a comforter with weights attached to it.

Yee was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder. Investigators said he had just been released from San Quentin State Prison, and was homeless, when he broke into his mother's residence and waited for her to return.

He reportedly strangled her and struck her in the head several times with a hammer. It was later learned that he allegedly placed his mother's body in the back of her compact pickup and drove around Chico looking for a place to dump the body before opting for the septic tank.

Yee has appeared in court twice, and his attorney said Thursday he is considering pleading not guilty by reason of insanity.

Other homicides

In one of the strangest alleged murders in the past year, Randy Mark Brass, Jr., 23, jumped into a cab after being shot in the leg in the 300 block of Normal Avenue early on the morning of Jan. 22.

He was bleeding profusely and was dropped off at the Enloe Medical Center emergency room after the cab driver realized how badly injured he was. Brass was pronounced dead at Enloe, but revived. He remained in critical condition for several days. The wounded leg was amputated to increase his chances of survival, but he died on Jan. 26.

It was later determined that Brass was armed when he was shot, and may have fired at the person who shot him. A second man at the scene was reportedly hit by gunfire. Police are still looking for a suspect in the case, and it has been ruled a homicide.

On Feb. 3*, while investigating a missing persons case, Chico police found the partially burned body of Jose Barajas Sanchez, 21, under a Crouch Avenue bridge. An investigation showed that Sanchez had been killed elsewhere on Jan. 27 and placed under the bridge in an attempt to destroy the evidence.

Police got leads on two suspects, who had fled to Gilroy. About nine days after the alleged murder, Antonio Montes Linares, 18, and Timothy Miles Nunez, were taken into custody after a lengthy standoff with Santa Clara County SWAT.

The incident is considered to be gang-related.

A trial date of March 12 has been set for Linares in Butte County Superior Court. Nunez pleaded guilty to being an accessory in the crime and was sentenced to three years in prison.

On Oct. 31, William Collinsworth, 35, of Yuba City, was in Chico celebrating Halloween and got into an argument with another man in a downtown bar. As the men stepped outside onto Main Street, Collinsworth was struck once in the face, allegedly by Allen Paul Peters, 35, of Chico.

Collinsworth fell backwards, hitting his head on the pavement. He was knocked unconscious and died two days later without regaining consciousness.

A police investigation led to Peters as the suspect. He surrendered to police on Nov. 5. He entered a plea of not guilty and has a preliminary hearing set for Jan. 23, 2012.

Unsolved cases

Police are asking for help from the public in solving two homicides occurring in 2002 and 2003.

On Sept. 5, 2002, at approximately 3 a.m., Chico police responded to 1155 Magnolia Ave., Apartment A, for a report of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found Elizabeth Lee, 22, with multiple gunshot wounds to her chest.

Lee was immediately transported to Enloe, where she later succumbed to her wounds. The victim was in bed with a man when several masked intruders fired at them. It's believed the shots may have been intended for him.

On Dec. 5, 2003, at approximately 8:30 p.m., the Chico Police Department responded to 535 Hazel St. on a report of a man down.

Officers found Christopher Herrmann on the front porch, dead from a single gunshot wound to the head.

Ramsey said any homicide is shocking and a tragedy for family members. The district attorney said the number of homicides in Chico, even with a record year, remain thankfully low.

Anyone with information on these cases is asked to call Chico police detectives at 897-4900.

Chico homicides by year

1999 — 1

2000 — 2

2001 — 3

2002 — 2 (one unsolved)

2003 — 1 (unsolved)

2004 — 3

2005 — 4

2006 — 1

2007 — 3

2008 — 2

2009 — 3

2010 — 1

2011 — 5 (one unsolved)

Correction, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011: The original version of this story contained several incorrect dates regarding the shooting death of Jose Barajas Sanchez. Police discovered Sanchez's body under a Crouch Avenue bridge on Feb. 3 after the Jan. 27 shooting. Two suspects, including alleged shooter Antonio Montes Linares, were arrested in Gilroy on Feb. 5. Return to corrected sentence.